


Pomegranates and Peaches

by TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel



Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M, Get Together, Hades & Persephone AU (sort of), Mythology References
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-05
Updated: 2015-01-05
Packaged: 2018-03-05 11:49:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,785
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3119078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel/pseuds/TardisIsTheOnlyWayToTravel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sarah ate a peach during her time in the Labyrinth. And as any reader of mythology could tell you, eating food from another realm is never a good idea.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pomegranates and Peaches

**Pomegranates and Peaches**

Sarah woke feeling cold and uncomfortable. She was lying on a hard surface instead of her nice comfortable bed, and she could feel a light breeze running over her body.

Sarah opened her eyes sleepily, not quite aware of what was going on. A moment later her eyes went wide as she registered her surroundings. Sarah was still wearing the pyjamas she’d gone to sleep in, but instead of being surrounded by her bedroom at home, Sarah was out in the open, surrounded by a landscape that was horrifyingly familiar.

“No!” she cried out, looking around desperately. “This is a dream! I _can’t_ be in the Labyrinth!”

But even as she said it, she knew that it was a lie. She recognised the tall walls around her, the unevenly paved streets she was sitting on. There was no doubt about it. There was only the question of _how_.

Sarah got to her feet, and took a deep breath.

“I wish the Goblin King was here right now!” Sarah said, and waited, a tight knot of anxiety in her chest.

It took only a moment, and Sarah was no longer alone. Jareth stood there, and his eyebrows drew together forbiddingly when he saw Sarah.

He didn’t look pleased.

“Sarah,” he said. “How did you find your way here?”

“How did I find my way here? I woke up here!” Sarah said angrily. “Take me home this minute, Goblin King!”

“You woke up here?” Jareth echoed, with a frown. He ignored her demand to be taken home, and circled around her, looking her up and down. “That _is_ odd.”

“This is one of your games,” Sarah accused, near tears.

“It may be someone’s game, but it is not one of mine,” said the Goblin King, still regarding Sarah in what almost looked like confusion. “The only way you would be drawn here outside of my own power is if–” He stopped abruptly.

“Is if what?” Sarah prompted impatiently.

Jareth started to laugh.

“Well, well,” he said, suddenly looking far too amused for Sarah’s liking. “Of course. How could I have forgotten? You ate the peach.”

“What’s that got to do with anything?” Sarah asked uneasily.

“Oh, it has everything to do with this, Sarah,” said Jareth, satisfaction rolling off him. “And here I thought you were familiar with folktales and mythology. Don’t you know better than to eat something belonging to another realm?”

It took Sarah a moment to realise what Jareth was talking about, but then she remembered the story of Hades and Persephone, and how Persephone had eaten part of a pomegranate while she was in the Underworld, binding her to Hades’ realm forever.

“No!” Sarah shouted, taking a step back. “I won’t stay here! You have no power over me!”

“Now, you know that isn’t true.” Jareth was smirking. “You ate the peach, Sarah. The magic of the Underground itself drew you here. Nothing I do or say will affect it.”

“Then why did it wait until now to bring me here?” Sarah said. “I don’t believe you!”

To Sarah’s surprise, Jareth only sighed, a drawn-out, long-suffering sigh.

“I wish you wouldn’t persist in seeing me as the villain, Sarah.”

“You haven’t done much to make me see you as anything else,” Sarah retorted.

“Hmm.” Jareth leaned on the cane he was holding, striking a thoughtful pose. “Then perhaps a compromise is in order.”

“A compromise?” Sarah repeated.

“There is nothing I can do about the fact that you are bound to my kingdom,” said the Goblin King. “But if the magic of the Undergound waited this long to enforce the binding, then perhaps it is not as all-encompassing as one might think.” He seemed deep in thought for a moment, his eyes turning distant. Then he nodded. “The Underground’s magic is binding, but there is a loophole. You don’t have to be here all the time. A month per year should do it.”

“A _month?_ ” Sarah shouted. “I can’t spend a month down here!”

“Why not?” Jareth asked.

“Because I can’t!” said Sarah. “My parents would miss me, for one thing, I can’t just disappear!”

Jareth looked undisturbed.

“You’ve just begun the summer break, correct?”

“How did you know that?” Sarah asked.

Jareth gave her an impatient look.

“Yes, I have,” Sarah admitted.

“Then it’s quite simple. Each of your parents will believe that you are spending the next month with the other, while in reality, you will be spending it here, in my kingdom.”

Sarah realised, to her despair, that there was no way out of it. She was spending the next month here, whether she liked it or not. It wasn’t fair, but then, she’d learned that most things in life weren’t, and that whining about it wouldn’t do her any good. Especially not where the Goblin King was concerned.

“Fine,” she said reluctantly. “But what about all my things? Clothes, toiletries, that sort of thing?”

Jareth waved a hand.

“Everything you need will be supplied,” he said. “I will find you a room in the castle that you may use as your own while you are here.”

“Thank you,” said Sarah, still reluctantly; but if she was going to spend the next month here, she might as well be polite. The last thing she wanted was for Jareth to make her stay even more unpleasant.

There was a flicker of surprise in the Goblin King’s eyes at her thanks, but he only smiled.

“Don’t mention it, Sarah,” he said. “It is the least I can do. You are a guest in my kingdom, after all. Come, let me show you to your room.”

Suddenly they were no longer standing in the Labyrinth, but in a carved stone hallway. Jareth opened the nearest door, and gestured for Sarah to walk into it. She did so cautiously.

The room around her was positively palatial, with an enormous four-poster bed with a canopy in one corner of the room, lush carpet, a finely-made dressing table against one wall, and a large ornately-carved wardrobe standing at the far side of the room. Near the door was an old-fashioned bath.

It was, Sarah had to admit, a lovely room.

She turned to politely thank Jareth, only to find that the Goblin King had vanished.

“Well,” Sarah said to herself, glancing down at her dirty pyjamas, “I suppose I had better get changed.”

Closer inspection of the dresser showed that admit the perfume bottles and other cosmetic containers was a can of Sarah’s preferred brand of deodorant, for which Sarah was grateful, although she tried not to think about how the Goblin King knew her usual brand.

Looking in the wardrobe, Sarah found that it was full of beautiful dresses, ranging from a magnificent ball dress, to lighter dresses more suitable for day-wear. Sarah chose a blue dress from the wardrobe, and a pair of satin slippers for her feet, and got changed.

After that, she found herself at a loss for what to do next. There was nothing to entertain her in the bedroom, no books or anything. And, Sarah realised, she hadn’t yet had breakfast. She was actually quite hungry.

Sarah hesitated before leaving the room, but Jareth hadn’t told her not to leave it, so bracing herself for whatever she might find out there, Sarah left her room, shutting the door firmly behind her, noticing as she did that there was now a name-plate on the door with her name on it.

Sarah wandered down the hallways, and down a flight of stairs, until she came to a large, open room filled with goblins.

Jareth was lounging in a large chair, his legs slung over one of the arms, looking bored. Sarah approached carefully.

“Jareth?”

The Goblin King looked up, and smiled appreciatively at the sight of Sarah in the blue dress.

“Why are there chickens in here?” Sarah asked, because she had to know.

“That’s a good question,” said Jareth. “Gamble, why _are_ there chickens in here?”

“For chicken-racing, king!” said one of the goblins.

“There you are, Sarah,” said Jareth. “For chicken-racing.”

Sarah opened her mouth to ask about chicken-racing, then decided that she was best off not knowing.

“I don’t suppose you have anything I could eat?” she asked. “I haven’t had any breakfast today, and I’m quite hungry.”

“Well, we can’t have that,” said Jareth, sitting up. “I suppose that you would prefer mortal food?”

“Yes, please,” said Sarah.

“Then follow me.”

Sarah did as Jareth asked, following him down a hallway and into what appeared to be a dining room. A great, long table stretched from one end of the room to the other. At the nearest end of the table sat a bowl and cutlery, as well as a box of cereal and a carton of milk.

Sarah sat down in front of the bowl, and poured herself some cereal and milk, while Jareth took a seat a few places down.

He watched Sarah as she ate, which made Sarah feel uncomfortable.

“What is there to do around here?” Sarah asked, partly as a distraction, and partly because she actually wanted to know.

“Oh, I don’t know,” said the Goblin King. “Chicken-racing, I suppose. Goblin Ball. Dropping people in the Bog of Eternal Stench.”

“What’s Goblin Ball?” Sarah asked.

“You could say that it’s a little bit like soccer, except that the rules change constantly, and it’s rather more violent,” said Jareth. “The goblins play. I usually referee.”

Jareth was looking bored again, and Sarah realised that if the short list of activities was all there was to do here, then Jareth was probably bored quite often.

“You’re actually quite bored here, aren’t you?” Sarah asked, giving voice to her insight. “Someone running the Labyrinth must be the most interesting thing that happens around here.”

“Sadly, you are not wrong,” said Jareth. “The Underground receives precious few visitors from the other realms. Runners of the Labyrinth are the most frequent, but even they do not come along particularly often.”

“What other visitors do you get?” Sarah asked curiously, and Jareth lifted one shoulder in a shrug.

“Other members of the fae looking for support in their petty fights and squabbles, mostly,” said the Goblin King. “I usually stay well out of it.”

“Don’t you have any family or friends?” Sarah asked, although she wasn’t sure why she cared.

A sardonic smile lifted the corners of Jareth’s mouth, and Sarah had the feeling that she’d said the wrong thing.

“Who do you think comes to bother me asking for support?” he asked. “The fae are not like mortals, Sarah. Children are an amusement or an advantage. The loving family ideal that humans pretend to emulate hardly applies here. And fae do not have friends, merely allies.”

“You mean there’s no one who cares about you?” Sarah asked, feeling oddly concerned.

The sardonic smile vanished from the Goblin King’s face, and he looked suddenly displeased.

“Do you feel sorry for me, Sarah? I assure you, it is unnecessary. My kingdom is more than enough to content me.”

“Not sorry,” Sarah protested. “Just… sad. Everyone should have someone who cares about them.”

Jareth gave her a long look.

“Really? And who cares for you, Sarah?”

“That’s not fair!” Sarah snapped, stung, before she could think about it. She put a hand over her mouth as she realised what she’d just said.

“Don’t say anything,” she told the Goblin King, before he could open his mouth. “I know life isn’t fair. I haven’t said that in years.” She bit her lip as she got her temper under control, and sighed, forcing herself to consider Jareth’s question seriously. “My mother cares for me, when it doesn’t get in the way of living the life she wants. Dad and Irene are just the same. Probably Toby is the only who cares about my happiness as much as his own, and he’s only five, so there isn’t much he could do about it.”

Sarah shook her head ruefully.

“I used to think that if Toby wasn’t around, Dad and Irene would care for me more, but they’re the same way with him now he’s not a baby. Honestly, sometimes I think that if I disappeared, Toby is the only one who would really care. Pitiful, huh?”

When Sarah glanced up again, Jareth’s eyes were fixed on her intently. Feeling suddenly self-conscious about everything she’d just shared, Sarah gave a small laugh.

“Listen to me, feeling sorry for myself,” she said, aiming for nonchalance. “I thought I’d outgrown that habit years ago. I suppose talking about it brought up all the old memories.”

“All the old memories?” Jareth repeated, his eyes still fixed on her, clearly a request for further information. Sarah smiled wryly.

“Of just desperately wanting to be wanted,” she said, acknowledging the hurt that had never quite gone away, even when she’d grown up enough to no longer need her family’s affection quite so much. “You’d think that I’d be past that, by now.”

“There is no shame in wanting to be seen as worthy, Sarah,” said Jareth. “In the end, it is as basic a need as any other. Acknowledgement from those they care about is sought by every mortal. You are no different in that respect.”

Sarah stared at him, and tried to decide if she’d just been insulted, or reassured. Jareth’s vaguely contemptuous tone suggested insult, but when Sarah thought about what he’d actually said, his words suggested otherwise.

“Thank you, I think,” said Sarah. She wasn’t sure what else to say, and so she went back to eating her bowl of cereal, under the gaze of the Goblin King.

When she’d finished, Sarah sat back in her chair, and regarded him.

“So,” she said. “What do you suggest I do, while I’m here?”

Jareth smirked.

“That, Sarah,” he said, deliberately unhelpful, “is up to you.”

* * *

The first few days of Sarah’s stay in the Labyrinth went like this:

Sarah would get up, dress, and go downstairs for breakfast, where she’d usually find Jareth. Sarah suspected that this was as much to keep the goblins from eating her breakfast as it was to offer Jareth entertainment, because several times he had to order inquisitive goblins away, telling them that the mortal food was for the lady. (As a result, the goblins had all taken to calling Sarah ‘Lady.’ There were worse nicknames, she supposed.)

After breakfast, by which time Jareth had usually vanished, Sarah would go and find her friends from the Labyrinth, and pay them a visit. Hoggle, Sir Didymus, and Ludo were all surprised to see her, but pleased, although Hoggle shook his head when he found out what Sarah was doing there.

Sarah would spend the rest of the day either with her friends, or exploring the Underground.

The first day Sarah got lost in the Labyrinth, and by dinner-time was feeling hungry, annoyed, and frustrated. Fortunately Jareth had appeared, made an irritating comment, and magicked Sarah back to the castle, where the two of them had eaten dinner together. Sarah hadn’t gotten lost again, not after that first day, but she continued to eat dinner with Jareth. Lunch, during the day, was a sandwich that magically appeared in the carefully-hidden pocket of Sarah’s dress.

After the first few days of catching up with her friends and exploring the Goblin King’s kingdom, however, Sarah decided to change her routine.

During breakfast that morning, Sarah asked, “Where do you go, after breakfast?”

“Wherever my fancy takes me,” said Jareth.

“Oh,” said Sarah. “Where do you intend to go today?”

“Probably to the gardens in the valley near the Misty Mountains,” said Jareth casually.

“Can I come?” Sarah asked.

Jareth looked at her with surprise, and a little as though he was wondering exactly how much trouble she’d be to take along. It was slightly annoying, but Sarah was getting used to that.

“I suppose it would not be too great an inconvenience,” Jareth allowed, and Sarah restrained the urge to say something sharp.

So, after Sarah finished breakfast, the two of them disappeared.

Sarah gasped a little as she got a good look at the gardens surrounding her. Plants and flowers of all kinds and colours stretched as far as the eye could see, climbing over arbours and twining around the trunks of tall and stately trees. Mountains rose in the distance, their peaks enshrouded in mist.

“How beautiful,” Sarah said, marvelling. She glanced at Jareth, to see him watching her, a faint smile on his lips.

“It is, isn’t it?” he mused, and moved to pick a yellow tulip from a raised flower-bank, which he handed to her. Sarah accepted it, and tucked it behind one ear.

“Do you come here often?” Sarah asked.

“Upon occasion,” Jareth replied, still watching her. “The goblins are forbidden to set foot here. Only those I trust not to do any damage are allowed within the gardens.”

Sarah considered that.

“Well, than you for letting me see them,” she said, and Jareth inclined his head in acknowledgement.

The two of them walked around the gardens for a while, Sarah still drinking in the sight of all the wonderful plants and flowers.

“There are so many plants and flowers,” said Sarah, stopping to look at a climbing plant with purple flowers. “I wish I knew what they all were.”

Jareth reached out with one gloved hand to touch his fingertips to one of the purple blossoms.

“Bougainvillea,” he murmured. “ _Passion_ , in the language of flowers.”

“What about this one?” asked Sarah, gesturing to a tree with covered with white flowers.

“The dogwood,” said Jareth. “ _Love undiminished by adversity._ ” He glanced at Sarah with a wry twist to his mouth, but went on before Sarah could think about what that meant. “And these are gardenias – _refinement._ ”

“Do all flowers mean different things?” Sarah wondered, fascinated.

“Many of them do,” said Jareth. “The language of flowers was once well-known among mortals, but I fear that it has fallen into disuse.”

“I’m sorry it has,” said Sarah. “It sounds interesting. I wish I understood the meaning of flowers.”

“Do you now?” asked Jareth, picking a cluster of small pink flowers, which he handed to Sarah. Sarah put them behind her other ear. She wondered what they meant, but something about the way that Jareth was looking at her made her hesitate to ask.

“I wonder if there are books on the subject?” Sarah said instead. “If it really was common knowledge once, surely someone recorded it somewhere.”

“Perhaps,” said Jareth.

“What are these?” Sarah asked, touching the pink flowers behind her ear.

“Clove blossoms,” said Jareth, but didn’t tell her what they meant.

“Cloves?” Sarah repeated. “Like in cooking? I never knew that they had flowers.”

“No doubt there are many things you do not know,” Jareth suggested, looking faintly amused.

Instead of taking offence, as she once would have, Sarah merely laughed.

“That’s true,” she agreed. “The older I get, the more I find I don’t know.”

“Well, at least you’re willing to admit it,” said the Goblin King. He was smiling, now – not the vaguely contemptuous, triumphant smile Sarah had seen in the past, but a warm, amused smile.

Sarah felt suddenly flustered, and glanced away from him, towards the nearest shrub.

She wasn’t fifteen any more, and she was old enough to tell when someone was behaving as though they were interested in her, and that _smile_ …

It didn’t help that Jareth was rather attractive, and the smile made Sarah suddenly conscious of the fact.

“Are you alright, Sarah?” Jareth asked, still amused. “You seem flushed.”

Sarah sent him a narrow-eyed look, suspecting that the Goblin King had a pretty good idea why she was blushing. The knowing look in his eyes confirmed it.

“I’m fine,” Sarah said with dignity. “What’s this?” She pointed to a red flower.

“That, my dear, is a scarlet geranium,” said Jareth. “It represents stupidity. Perhaps I should distribute a few blooms to my goblins. I’m sure that they’d appreciate them.”

Sarah bit her lip so as not to laugh. Jareth grinned openly.

“That’s mean,” said Sarah. She didn’t quite manage the reproving tone she was aiming for.

“And yet, it has the ring of truth,” Jareth drawled.

Sarah couldn’t hide her smile, in spite of her efforts. Jareth smirked back.

The two of them wandered around the garden some more, and Sarah was delighted to come to a small footbridge, spanning a creek filled with crystal—clear water. Sarah could easily see the bed of stones at the bottom.

“How pretty!” she exclaimed, and moved to stand at the edge of the bridge, peering down into the water, forgetting, for a moment, to keep an eye on the Goblin King.

Instinct warned her, and she turned her head just as Jareth, a gleam of mischief in his eyes, went to push her off the bridge. Sarah shrieked and grabbed onto his arm, catching him off-balance. The result was that both of them went toppling off the small bridge and into the water.

Sarah let go of Jareth and righted herself, spluttering as she surfaced. The water wasn’t very deep – only deep enough to come up to her shoulders – but Sarah was completely soaked.

Jareth surfaced a second later, just as drenched, his hair plastered to his head in bedraggled spikes. The Goblin King took one look at Sarah’s furious face, and burst into guffaws.

Sarah was not so amused. She climbed out of the creek with difficulty, the wet skirt of her dress heavy and clinging, and sat on the creek-bank to wring some of the water out of her hair and dress.

Jareth was still laughing.

“What is _wrong_ with you?” Sarah shouted, seething with fury. “Why would you push me into the water?”

“Oh, your _face!_ ” Jareth howled, and descended back into laughter, even though he himself was still in the water.

Fuming, Sarah gathered up her wet skirts and got to her feet, and started to walk away.

“Sarah!” Jareth called out, and Sarah ignored him. A few moments later there was a hand on her shoulder, and Sarah whirled, ready to give him a piece of her mind.

It took Sarah a second to realise that she was suddenly completely dry.

Sarah immediately put a hand to her hair, which had been a wet mess a moment ago. It was now sitting perfectly, entirely dry.

Looking down at herself, Sarah saw that there was no sign she’d ever taken a dunking in the creek.

“Is that better?” Jareth asked, his expression full of mirth. He too was completely dry, and back to looking like his usual self. Even his cape was fine.

“I would like to go back to my room,” said Sarah furiously.

“So soon? But we were having such a nice time,” said Jareth, his voice vibrating with laughter. Sarah folded her arms and glared.

“ _Now_ ,” she said.

“Very well,” said Jareth, and a moment later Sarah found herself back in her bedroom, Jareth’s laughter echoing in her ears.

Sarah let out an angry noise and flung herself on her bed, and screamed into her pillow. Then she rolled over onto her back, and glared at the ceiling.

“Oh, he makes me so mad!” Sarah exclaimed. The worst part was that she’d been feeling kinder towards the Goblin King these past few days, given his more-or-less considerate behaviour.

Sarah lay there seething for a while. Then an image of Jareth’s startled face as the two of them fell into the creek popped into her head, followed by the memory of how Jareth had looked with his hair plastered to his head, looking a complete mess.

Sarah bit her lip, but it was no use. She went off into a fit of giggles, and when it was finished, she found that most of her anger had dwindled away into almost nothing.

With a sigh, Sarah reflected that it was a pity she’d let her anger overcome her. After all, she’d ended up perfectly fine despite the Goblin King’s little trick, and she would have liked to see more of the gardens.

“Perhaps I can see more of them another time,” Sarah murmured out loud, sitting up. She frowned as she noticed something new on the dressing-table.

Walking over, Sarah found that it was a small book bound in old-fashioned binding. _The Language and Sentiment of Flowers_ was printed across the front in gold lettering.

Sarah wondered if it was meant as an apology. She sat down at the dressing-table, and began to page through the book.

It was filled with lists of flowers, with the name of the flower on the left side of the page, its meaning on the right hand side. Small, colourful illustrations of each flower preceded the name. Sarah read through some of the meanings, fascinated, before remembering the flowers that Jareth had given her earlier.

Sarah looked up cloves first.

“ _Clove (Syzygium aromaticum),_ ” she read out loud, stumbling over the scientific name. Her voice faltered as she read out the corresponding meaning. “ _I have loved you and you have not known it_.”

Her thoughts in a whirl, Sarah went to look up the other flower that Jareth had given her, a yellow tulip.

“ _A declaration of hopeless love_ ,” Sarah read aloud. Carefully, she closed the book.

She still remembered the Goblin King’s attempt to make her stay in the Labyrinth – “ _Just love me, fear me, do as I say, and I will be your slave.”_ He’d offered Sarah her dreams, desperately trying to make her stay. At the time, Sarah had simply assumed it was another ploy to make her give up on her brother. Now, she wondered if it had been something else.

Sarah’s cheeks felt hot as she considered for the first time the fact that perhaps the Goblin King had been playing an altogether different game, one which Sarah had been too young to understand.

“This is ridiculous.” Sarah got to her feet, and began to pace. “He can’t be in love with me!”

And yet, there had been the way he’d smiled at her this afternoon, and the fact that he’d been surprisingly accommodating so far, for the wicked, child-stealing Goblin King.

Sarah stopped her pacing, and thought.

No, that wasn’t quite fair: yes, Jareth took children, but only the ones who were wished away, unwanted. Sarah hadn’t really meant it, when she’d wished Toby away – not completely, anyway – but how many people had? How many unwanted children had Jareth taken in, and allowed to turn into goblins? After all, being a goblin was likely kinder than being unwanted and abused, the way some of the children probably were.

And supernatural beings didn’t think like humans, Sarah knew: they played by different rules, and their sense of morality was different. It wasn’t fair to call the Goblin King wicked, or a child-stealer. He was many things, a lot of them negative, but wicked and a child-stealer he wasn’t, not quite. After all, he stuck to the rules, even if he wasn’t always fair, by human standards.

“I should have asked the rules, last time I was here,” Sarah muttered. “All that talk of things not being fair, and I never asked what the rules were. I was foolish, and very lucky.”

“I quite agree,” said a voice, and Sarah stifled a shriek. She turned slowly, to see Jareth standing in her doorway. She wondered how long he had been there. Not for long, she hoped.

“I did knock,” he said. “I suppose you didn’t hear me.”

“You’re supposed to wait for an answer!” Sarah said. “What if I’d been getting changed, or something?”

“I’m not very good at waiting,” said Jareth, with a smirk. “And I suppose I would have gotten a pleasant surprise,” he answered her second question.

Sarah gasped, her cheeks reddening again.

“Get out!” she ordered, and laughing, Jareth shut the door.

It wasn’t until after he’d gone that it occurred to Sarah that he’d never said why he was there in the first place.

* * *

The next day or so things were a little strained between them, Sarah still feeling annoyed about Jareth’s intrusion into her room, and confused about the flowers he had given her. Jareth, for his part, behaved no differently: he was both thoughtful and infuriating by turns.

Sarah went to visit Hoggle after a couple of days, determined to talk it out with somebody who wasn’t Jareth.

“Hoggle,” she said carefully, “I need to talk to someone, and you’ve always been a good friend to me.”

Hoggle might have blushed; it was difficult to tell. He mumbled something.

“The King, Jareth,” Sarah went on, “how do you think he feels about me?”

“Well,” Hoggle ventured, “he did seem annoyed by you, last time you were here. But he hasn’t thrown you in the Bog, and you said he’s been nice enough to you so far, hasn’t he?”

“He pushed me into a creek and laughed about it,” Sarah said. “But then he magicked me dry again, so I’m not sure what to think about that.”

“Well, he must like you then, or else he’d have left you soaking wet,” said Hoggle, sounding a little surprised. “It’s funny; the King doesn’t like many people.”

“He gave me flowers, Hoggle,” Sarah blurted. “And a flower dictionary.”

“Oh?” said Hoggle.

“And – and the flowers he gave me all signified romantic love, Hoggle,” Sarah finished.

Hoggle’s face fell slightly.

“Oh,” he said, sounding faintly dejected. “I suppose he really does like you, then. Are you going to marry him?”

Sarah spluttered a bit.

“Hoggle, I barely know him, and he hasn’t done much to endear himself to me!”

“But he’s a King,” said Hoggle. “And in stories, beautiful girls always marry the King. That’s how it works.”

“Maybe in stories,” said Sarah. An unwelcome suspicion niggled at her brain. “Hoggle – do you suppose that _Jareth_ thinks the same thing?”

“How should I know?” Hoggle asked reasonably. “If you want to know, you should ask him yourself.”

“Thank you, Hoggle,” said Sarah, resolving to have a discussion with the Goblin King. “You’ve been very helpful.”

That night at dinner, when the goblins had been chased out of the dining room and both Sarah and Jareth had taken a seat, Sarah said, “I’ve been wondering about the flowers you gave me.”

“I gave you a flower dictionary,” said Jareth. “Surely they cannot be too mystifying.”

“Did – did you really mean it?” Sarah asked, and felt herself blushing. Dammit. She wished that would stop happening. “With the yellow tulip, and the clove flowers?”

“Of course I meant it,” said Jareth matter-of-factly. “I’d hardly make a declaration without real intent behind it, would I?”

“Oh,” said Sarah. “I see.”

“I really doubt you do,” said Jareth. “I wish to make you my queen, Sarah, to rule by my side forever. The years that have passed have only made my affection for you stronger.”

Sarah closed her eyes for a second. Before she’d run the Labyrinth, when it had been nothing more to her than a beloved story in a book, she’d dreamed silly dreams of being the beautiful girl who won the Goblin King’s heart.

It was a very different thing to be an adult, and to know that the story had, in a sense, come true. Sarah wasn’t sure that she wanted to be the focus of the Goblin King’s desires. He was infuriating, fascinating, enlivening, Sarah was willing to admit to herself; but that didn’t mean she was in love with him.

“Jareth, my place is in the world I come from,” she said. “I have a life there. I can’t leave it all behind, can’t you see?”

“Who’s asking you to leave it all behind?” asked the Goblin King. “You are already bound to spend at least a month per year in my kingdom, Sarah. The rest of your life you may live as you wish. I ask only that in that month you fear me, love me–”

“ _Do as I say_ ,” Sarah finished in unison with him. She shook her head. “I can’t do that, Jareth. I don’t want to fear you, and I refuse to do as you say simply because you tell me to. That’s not what a relationship is. A relationship is compromise and hard work and affection.”

Jareth leaned forward suddenly, his expression intent, a gleam of triumph in his eyes.

“But you would be willing to have such a relationship?”

Sarah opened her mouth.

…and shut it again, reviewing her words. She hadn’t intended to, but she’d implied as much, hadn’t she?

“I don’t know,” she said helplessly, because she honestly didn’t. “I can’t leave my life behind, but if I were dating you, I wouldn’t want to leave you behind, either.”

Because while Sarah wasn’t in love with him, she found him fascinating enough that perhaps she should be saying that she wasn’t in love with him _yet_. It wasn’t something that she wanted to think about: all she wanted was to finish her month in the Underground and leave everything to do with the Goblin King’s kingdom behind. But she was forced to think about it anyway.

“Dating?” Jareth repeated blankly.

“Dating,” said Sarah firmly. “It’s the modern equivalent of courtship. It’s when two people spend time together, doing fun things, so that they can get to know each other better and decide whether they want to be together forever or not.”

“I see,” said Jareth. He looked thoughtful. “Courtship, then. Would you be averse to such a thing, Sarah?”

Sarah had been asked out a lot of times before, but never with such an expression of serious intent behind it. She thought as quickly as she could, trying to come to an answer.

“I suppose not,” she finally said slowly. “After all, if I thought we didn’t suit each other, I could call it off at any time.”

“Then allow me to court you,” said Jareth, “to prove to you that my love is no fleeting, insignificant thing.”

“Fine.” Sarah gave in. “You can court me. But I’m only here for a month, remember? No trying to keep me here for longer than that.”

“Agreed,” said the Goblin King, looking both pleased and satisfied. “But if you have not made up your mind by the time the month is up, then I may court you in the world Above.”

“You can leave the Underground?” Sarah asked, startled.

“Not for long, but certainly for a few hours,” Jareth replied. “I find it entertaining to watch the antics of mortals.”

“Is that where you go during the day, sometimes?” Sarah asked.

“Sometimes,” Jareth agreed. “The world above is a freer and more interesting place than the Underground.”

Sarah hesitated on her next question.

“I’ve seen you become an owl,” she said. “Were you the owl that used to watch me at the park, before I wished Toby away?”

Jareth smiled.

“Oh, clever thing,” he complimented Sarah. “I’m surprised you even noticed me. Few mortals pay attention to a nearby owl.”

So Jareth _had_ been watching her. Sarah wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

“I wondered,” said Sarah, “because barn owls are supposed to be strictly nocturnal, and yet I’d see you out during the day. Why were you watching me in the first place?”

Jareth’s smile turned faintly wistful.

“Perhaps I was curious to know more about the young girl who dreamed of winning the love of the Goblin King,” he said.

Sarah flushed in embarrassment. It had been silly of her, but she had been only fifteen: young enough to still hold foolish dreams, but just old enough to think of romance.

Jareth’s smile widened at her embarrassment, losing its wistful edge.

“Oh yes, Sarah, I saw you in the park, play-acting the part of the beautiful maiden. Is it really so surprising that I came, when you summoned me to take your brother?”

“When you put it that way, I suppose not,” said Sarah. Overcoming her embarrassment, she asked curiously, “Can I see you in owl form?”

Jareth raised an eyebrow, but a moment later, a barn owl hopped onto the dinner table. He was a handsome, healthy specimen, a little large than most owls.

“Oh, look at you,” said Sarah. “Do you mind if I…?” Her hand hovered in the air.

Jareth simply stared at her with an owl’s big, dark eyes, and so Sarah tentatively reached out to pat his head. Jareth-the-owl closed his eyes for a moment, apparently enjoying the caress. Opening his eyes again, he let out a shrill twitter.

“What does that mean?” Sarah asked, without stopping her patting motion.

The next second she found her hand resting in spiky blonde hair. Jareth smirked at her from where he was sitting on the dining table in between the plates. Sarah snatched her hand back.

“Oh, don’t stop, Sarah,” the Goblin King chided. “That was quite pleasant.”

“I’m not patting you when you’re not an owl,” Sarah said firmly, because she had a sense of boundaries, even if Jareth didn’t.

“Why not?” Jareth lounged on the dining table in his tight pants. Sarah kept her eyes fixed carefully on his face. “I am myself, no matter what form I’m in.”

“I don’t care,” said Sarah. “It’s different.”

Jareth made a face, and slid off the table.

“If you say so,” he said.

“If you don’t mind, I’m going to go up to my room,” said Sarah, who had finished her dinner. “Will I see you tomorrow?”

Jareth smiled at her.

“Certainly, precious thing.”

* * *

It was only in the privacy of her room that Sarah thought of her family, and wondered what they’d think of the Goblin King.

Sarah’s mother would probably like him, given how dramatic he was, especially with that voice of his. Sarah had dated a few boys, and Linda hadn’t liked most of them, saying that they were too dull and ordinary for her little girl. She’d probably approve of Sarah ensnaring a Goblin King, had she known the truth.

Sarah’s father likely wouldn’t approve of Jareth no matter what story Sarah fed him – Robert didn’t like anyone dating his daughter, even the polite and respectful ones, so Jareth with his terrible manners would no doubt earn her father’s disapprobation. Sarah’s stepmother, Irene, would probably only care whether Jareth was a safe influence around Toby or not, while Jeremy – the boyfriend of Sarah’s mother – likely wouldn’t care at all who Sarah was dating.

Toby would either like him or hate him for no reason at all, if Sarah’s previous boyfriends were any indication.

Sarah gave a rueful laugh, and tried not to think about the fact that barn owls mated for life. She was far enough in over her head as it was.

Dating the Goblin King! What was she thinking? Yes, he was fascinating and attractive and never boring, but he was also the _Goblin King._ Trouble was bound to follow.

But would that be so bad, really? a treacherous part of Sarah’s mind asked slyly. College was interesting enough, but part of Sarah had been drifting since she finished school, looking for something to pour her heart into. All her childish dreams had been banished by adulthood, and Sarah hadn’t yet found dreams to replace them – all she had instead was a nagging sense of restlessness and pointlessness.

Two feelings, her brain pointed out, which had been non-existent the entire time she’d been in the Underground, with Jareth.

Sarah sighed, and rested her chin in her hands, looking at her reflection in the dressing table mirror. What it came down to in the end, was this: was Jareth worth it? Was he worth loving? Was Sarah willing to trade part of her life away in exchange for passion and love – for dreams?

“You know,” Sarah murmured, “I think I am.”

She might have ended up in the Underground against her will, but now that she was here, it was better than she’d expected. And Jareth… well, Jareth had been a lot more than just the frightening Goblin King who had terrified her the last time she’d visited his kingdom. He’d acted like a person – an exasperating person, maybe, but more than just a caricature of a fae king. Sarah had the feeling that she was seeing the real Jareth, this time around. Which wasn’t to say that the frightening Goblin King persona wasn’t real, because Sarah had no doubt that it was. Just that there was more to Jareth than his title and his responsibilities, and Sarah was being given a chance to see them.

Sarah got ready for bed with a sigh, and resolved to talk to Jareth more in the morning.

* * *

The next morning, when Sarah awoke, there was a vase full of flowers on her dressing-table.

Sarah recognised the dogwood flowers from the day before - _Love undiminished by adversity –_ and the bougainvillea – _passion_ – and the single red rose in the middle of the bouquet, but she wasn’t sure what the other flowers were.

It was a good thing that her flower dictionary was illustrated. Sarah paged through it, looking for flowers that looked like the ones on her dressing-table. She was fairly certain that the sprig of small pink flowers were peach blossom – _I am your captive –_ while the funny purple ones looked like the drawing of liatris, which meant _I will try again._ The red rose, meanwhile, simply meant _love._

Leaving the flowers where they stood on her dressing-table, Sarah got changed for the day and went downstairs, expecting to head straight for the dining room, as usual.

Instead, she found herself stopped in the doorway to the throne room, staring in mingled disbelief and merriment.

Several goblins were riding chickens at full-speed around the room, while the other goblins cheered and jeered at them, encouraging certain riders while disparaging others. The chickens, meanwhile, were agitated and distressed, squawking loudly as their riders spurred them on. Several goblins appeared to be placing bets.

“What is all this?” asked a wrathful voice, and Jareth appeared in the opposite doorway.

“Chicken-racing, king!” came a chorus of voices.

“Why,” Jareth asked terribly, “is there chicken-racing in my _throne room?_ ”

The small group of goblins-on-chickens ran past him in their continued circuit around the room, and Jareth made a sound of exasperation.

“Out!” Jareth roared. “All chicken-racing is to take place _outside!_ Anyone who doesn’t leave the room this instant shall be dropped in the Bog of Eternal Stench!”

The goblins scrambled to leave the room, while the chickens were steered towards the doorway opposite the king, which happened to be the one Sarah was standing in. She leapt out of the way just in time, and the crowd of goblins and chickens poured out of the room past her, and down the steps that led to the rest of Goblin City.

Once they were gone, Sarah leaned against the doorway and laughed until her sides ached.

When she looked up, Jareth was standing there with his hands on his hips, a playful glare on his face.

“You find this funny?” he demanded.

“Oh, yes,” Sarah said, with a giggle. “Are they always like this?”

“Usually,” said Jareth, looking disgusted. His expression set Sarah laughing again.

“I saw the flowers,” she said, when her laughter had abated. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome, Sarah,” said Jareth. “Breakfast?”

“Yes, please,” said Sarah. Jareth offered her his arm, and Sarah took it, feeling a little self-conscious. Together they left the throne room, and walked down corridors until they came to the dining room, where Jareth walked Sarah to her seat before taking his own.

Sarah looked at Jareth speculatively, wondering if there would be more of these small gestures, now that she was allowing the Goblin King to court her. She’d never dated anybody overtly romantic, but she suspected that difficult though Jareth could be, a lack of romance was not something she could lay at his feet.

Jareth smiled at her, and Sarah smiled cautiously back.

“I wonder how my family are doing,” she remarked. “I’ll be glad to see Toby again, once my time here is over. Irene’s been putting him in daycare all day since I went off to college, poor thing. I used to babysit him when I came home from high school, but of course, I couldn’t do that while I was away.”

“What is it that you study at college?” Jareth asked.

“English literature,” Sarah responded. “Dad thinks that I’m wasting my time studying literature instead of something ‘more useful,’ but Mom’s been behind me all the way. She said something about how people need to follow their heart. She’s a big believer in creative stuff. Dad’s more down-to-earth.” Sarah shook her head. “Sometimes, Mom and Dad are so different that I wonder how they were even married in the first place. They haven’t agreed on anything in years.”

“I’m not surprised that you chose to study literature,” said Jareth. “You have always been interested in stories, after all. Surely your father must see that.”

Sarah snorted inelegantly.

“Dad is convinced that sooner or later I’ll ‘grow up,’” she responded. “If growing up means leaving behind everything I care about, than I’m happy never to grow up, thanks.”

“You know, that’s possible, in the Underground,” said Jareth nonchalantly. “If you became my queen, you would not age another day. You would transcend mortality, to become a being of power yourself.”

Sarah eyed him suspiciously.

“Are you trying to tempt me?”

“I am courting you, Sarah,” Jareth countered. “It is within my role to attempt to convince you to marry me using any method at my disposal, including temptation.”

“You _are_ trying to tempt me,” said Sarah.

“But of course,” said Jareth.

“Some people might say you were cheating,” Sarah said mildly. To be honest, she didn’t really mind that Jareth was trying to court her. The immortality thing was definitely something she needed to think about later, though.

“Some people,” Jareth responded, “might say that all is fair in love and war, precious.”

Sarah let out a huff of mingled annoyance and amusement, and got on with her breakfast.

The next few days set a new pattern for the rest of Sarah’s stay in the Underground. Each morning there would be a bouquet of flowers in the vase on Sarah’s dressing-table, which Sarah would decipher the meaning of using her flower dictionary. Instead of leaving Sarah alone after breakfast, Jareth offered to take her with him to wherever he was going that day. The only time Sarah didn’t accept was when Jareth planned to throw one of the Labyrinth’s residents into the Bog of Eternal Stench; she had no desire to go near the unpleasant destination.

On the other days Sarah got to see some of the sights of Jareth’s kingdom: she visited the gardens again, saw some of Goblin City, and even witnessed a game of Goblin Ball when Jareth agreed to referee. Throughout, Jareth was surprisingly well-mannered and courtly, acting on his best behaviour, and bringing Sarah small gifts of things like jewellery and books.

The first time he brought Sarah jewellery, she didn’t expect it at all.

“Oh Jareth, it’s beautiful!” she exclaimed, examining the necklace. It was made of interlocking chain links made of silver, with little silver and green-enamelled leaves coming off each link. Taken as a whole, the necklace looked like a delicate green-and-silver wreath. Sarah put it on at once, and smiled at Jareth.

He smiled back, looking satisfied.

After that there was more jewellery, all of it unlike anything Sarah had ever seen before. She wasn’t certain, but she suspected that Jareth was creating the jewellery himself, using magic and his imagination. However he was obtaining it, however, it was all undeniably beautiful.

Sarah was surprised to realise that she was getting used to life in Jareth’s kingdom. She’d wandered all over the kingdom by now, through Goblin City and the Labyrinth, and dealt with the goblins. Then there was Jareth. Sarah found that she was enjoying his company a great deal, and while Sarah didn’t see much of anyone else, she didn’t really feel the loss. She’d always been fairly introverted, preferring to stick to a small group of friends rather than behave like a social butterfly, and since high school Sarah had drifted away from her old friends without really making any new ones. Sarah wasn’t exactly close to her family anymore, either. But Jareth – he had a knack for holding Sarah’s attention, even at his most exasperating, and for keeping her entertained.

Sarah hadn’t realised that she was lonely, until she wasn’t.

* * *

“You know,” she said to Jareth, during another visit to the gardens, when both of them were sitting beneath an arbour, Sarah weaving flowers into her hair while Jareth was sprawled nearby, “I’ve been getting used to life here.”

“Oh?” said Jareth.

“It seemed different, when I ran the Labyrinth,” Sarah went on.

“Of course,” said Jareth. “Before, you were running in opposition to the Labyrinth. Now you are, at least in part, someone who belongs here. The attitude of the kingdom towards you has changed.”

“You talk as though your kingdom is sentient,” Sarah pointed out, curious.

“In a sense, it is,” the Goblin King replied. “Only in a limited sense, but the Underground is magical enough that it has a primitive awareness of its own.”

“And now it’s accepted me?” Sarah asked.

“Not completely,” said Jareth. “But enough that your stay here is considerably more pleasant than last time.”

“I suppose that makes sense.” Sarah twirled a flower between her fingers. “Everything’s seemed more… friendly, this time.” She looked at Jareth. “Including you.”

“You aren’t running my Labyrinth, this time,” Jareth responded. “I am not your enemy, Sarah.”

“I think I understand,” she said.

“Good,” said Jareth. He gave her the warm, smiling look that always made Sarah blush, but this time she smiled back.

“How much longer do I have to remain in your kingdom?” she asked, wondering how much more time she had with Jareth, and the Goblin King’s smile vanished.

“Today is your last day,” Jareth said, losing the warmth from his voice.

Sarah was startled.

“It’s been a month already?” she exclaimed. “It hardly feels like it.”

“I hope that is a good sign,” said Jareth.

“You know, I wasn’t very happy to be here in the beginning,” said Sarah, “but this place has been growing on me. Will I be able to visit, once my month is up?”

“If that is what you wish,” said Jareth. His eyes were intent where they rested on Sarah. “Have you made up your mind whether or not to accept my courtship, Sarah?”

“I can’t possibly decide by today,” said Sarah. “It’s only been… how long has it been?”

“A week and a half,” Jareth supplied.

“It’s only been a week and a half since you started courting me,” said Sarah. “I can’t decide yet, Jareth, you have to understand.”

“Then I’ll just have to court you in the world Above,” said Jareth. “You promised, Sarah.”

“I know,” said Sarah. She wasn’t sure how to feel. She’d been getting used to the Underground, to all its magic and whimsy, but now, at the thought of going home, it felt like reality was crashing down. Yes, she was attracted to Jareth, but how would things work out when Sarah returned to the real world? There was Sarah’s family, and college, and all the pressure to finish growing up and become responsible. “I just don’t know how it’s going to work out, Jareth. You’re the Goblin King, and I’m mortal.”

“Not entirely,” said Jareth. “Just as you’re part of this kingdom, my kingdom has become part of you. You will always be bound to return here, Sarah. Even if it is only for one month per year. This is where you belong.”

Acting on impulse, Sarah threw herself down next to the Goblin King.

“Sarah?” Jareth’s startled eyes looked into Sarah’s green ones.

“I don’t want to leave my life Above behind,” Sarah confessed, “but I don’t want to leave this one behind, either. And I don’t want to leave you behind, Jareth. Promise you’ll still court me even after I go home?”

“I have no intention of letting you go,” Jareth promised.

Even a few days earlier, that promise would have been frightening. But now, Sarah only found it reassuring – a promise that she would not lose the new dreams she had only just discovered.

That evening Sarah said goodbye to Hoggle and Sir Didymus and Ludo, before returning to the castle, where she changed back into the pyjamas she’d been wearing the day that she had woken in the Labyrinth. Then she walked downstairs, to meet Jareth.

“Will I see you soon?” Sarah asked him, feeling awkward standing around in her pyjamas.

“Sooner than you think,” Jareth said with a smirk, and threw a crystal into the air.

* * *

The next moment Sarah woke with a gasp. She sat up quickly, her gaze travelling over her surroundings. She was in her bed, at home, and everything looked exactly as it had before she went away.

Sarah flopped back down onto the bed, and hoped desperately that it hadn’t all been a dream. If it was, she couldn’t bear it.

Taking a deep breath, Sarah got out of bed and got changed, into a pair of jeans and a purple top that were hanging in her wardrobe, and shrugged on a waistcoat over the purple shirt. Her suitcases lay on the floor, still unpacked from returning from college for the break. Sarah resolved to unpack them later, instead walking downstairs.

“Good morning, Sarah,” Irene, as Sarah appeared in the kitchen. “Did you enjoy your stay with your mother?”

It took Sarah a moment to remember that Jareth had said that both her parents would believe that she had spent her time in the Underground with the other. She supposed that applied to Irene, too.

“It was okay,” said Sarah, “but I’m glad to be home.”

She was, too. Much as Sarah had enjoyed her time in the Goblin King’s kingdom – towards the end, anyway – she felt a rush of affection for the familiar surroundings, including her family.

“Will you take me to the park, Sarah?” Toby asked.

“Toby, you know we’re getting your hair cut today,” Irene chided.

“Then can I go later?” Toby pleaded. “With Sarah? Please?”

“We’ll see,” said Sarah, sitting down to the table with a bowl of cereal.

Just as she’d eaten the first few bites, the doorbell rang. Irene and Sarah looked at each other in surprise.

“Ooh, can I get it?” Toby asked.

“No,” Irene said firmly.

“I can–” Sarah began, starting to rise from her seat.

“No, no, you just sat down to eat breakfast,” Irene called over her shoulder, walking out towards the front door. “I’ll get it.”

“I wonder who it is?” Toby told Sarah.

Sarah heard the front door creak open, and then a familiar voice say, “Good morning. Is Sarah home?”

Sarah almost choked on her cereal.

“Might I know who’s asking?” Irene’s voice asked politely.

“Oh, of course. My name is Jay King, and I’m Sarah’s boyfriend,” Jareth’s voice floated down the hallway.

“You have a _boyfriend?_ ” Toby asked accusingly, while Sarah tried to finish her cereal in a rush so that she could go out and greet Jareth. Her heart was thumping wildly.

“Sarah’s boyfriend?” Irene sounded surprised. “She never said she had a boyfriend.”

Sarah swallowed the last of her cereal and milk and leapt to her feet, and ran.

“Hello,” she said breathlessly, arriving in the front hall, and then had to stop and stare. While Jareth’s hair was the same as ever – standing in all directions – Jareth was dressed as casually as Sarah was, in tight jeans and a t-shirt with a leather jacket thrown over the top.

Jareth winked at her suggestively, and Sarah blushed as she realised she was staring.

“Jay, you said?” asked Irene, watching the interplay with amused surprise. “Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m afraid Sarah hasn’t mentioned you. Keeping secrets, Sarah?”

“I only just got home,” Sarah protested. “I was going to tell you. I didn’t expect Jar – _Jay_ to turn up so early. What _are_ you doing here so early?” she added to Jareth.

“Now, Sarah, you know that I promised to visit you,” Jareth said, with a smirk. He was clearly enjoying himself. “You should be pleased that I chose to do so as soon as possible.”

He turned to Irene, before Sarah could respond.

“Mrs Williams, I was hoping to take Sarah out for the day, if that is agreeable?”

“That’s up to Sarah,” Irene said, looking quite amused by now. Sarah was afraid that she was going to be the target of some friendly teasing when she and Irene were next alone. Sarah found that she didn’t really mind.

“Well?” Jareth struck a pose, and fixed Sarah with an imperious look. She gave him her best haughty look.

“Is that how you ask a lady out?” Sarah asked, raising her eyebrows.

Jareth’s posture shifted.

“Sarah, my love, will you do me the honour of accompanying me for the day?” he asked, this time in a less impatient tone.

“I will,” Sarah told him, and smiled. “Just let me grab my purse.”

Her eyes met Jareth’s, and he mirrored her smile.

Sarah turned and ran up the stairs to get her purse, before rushing downstairs again. She gave a hurried goodbye to Irene, and then she and Jareth were outside, walking down the street by themselves.

“You came!” Sarah exclaimed.

“Missing me already?” Jareth asked, sounding amused.

“Oh, shut up,” Sarah told him, but took his hand. Jareth interlocked their fingers, smiling.

“That reminds me,” he mused, and with his free hand pulled something out from under his jacket. It proved to be a peach-coloured flower with many petals. Sarah tucked it into the pocket of her waistcoat.

“What is it?” Sarah asked.

“Camellia,” said Jareth. “ _My destiny is in your hands._ ” He looked at her. “I did think of offering you an amaranth,” he admitted, “but that seemed a little premature.”

Sarah knew what amaranth meant: immortality. She suspected that it was usually combined with other flowers to meant immortal love, but knew that wasn’t how Jareth would have intended the offering.

“Just a little,” Sarah agreed, squeezing his hand. “But who knows what the future holds.”

“Truer words, precious,” Jareth agreed, and together, the two of them walked down the street.

**Author's Note:**

> This ends kind of abruptly, I'm afraid. At some point I might try and expand on the bit in the middle, but this story has been sitting there for days and I have no further inspiration, so I've posted it as it is.


End file.
